The butterfly valley revisited 2018

Every year when we holiday in Rhodes we hire a car. One of the reasons is to visit a couple of restaurants we love which are a little out of the way. The other is to make an annual visit to the butterfly valley. 

We were a little earlier visiting this year and there were more butterflies than we see later in the month. It is also such a pleasant walk up through the valley and a shield from the hot sunshine. 

They are on every surface in the valley, trees,leaves, rocks and anywhere in between. 

We also love spotting the lizards and freshwater crabs which live there.

It really is a place to sit and be mindful in...bliss.

My card also features butterflies.

I created an oxide background using Tim Holz inks and one of his floral stencils.

I then added some more stamping using his Lady Rose stamp set and one of his sticker quotes and finished off with my favourite Visible Image butterflies.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges;

Stamping sensations 3/3 something beginning with B mine is butterfly and beautiful (in the quote)

Fashionable stamping 3/3 quote away

The butterfly challenge 2/3  the letter A I have gone with apricot and layers

Happy little stampers watercolour 2/3 anything goes/butterflies
Stamps and stencils it's been a while/ anything goes
Cute card Thursday 1/3 monochrome

Penny Black and More 1/3 make it feminine

Whenever life gets hectic I just close my eyes and can transport myself back to that day in the butterfly valley, they were indeed beautiful moments.

Thanks for stopping by and have a super weekend. We will be collecting more beautiful moments with our kids and grandkids as we are off on a conker hunt on Sunday. I hope you can find some beautiful moments (and conkers!!) too. 

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

Exploring and the Butterfly Valley Rhodes

I know it has been a few weeks but I have finally got round to write a  post sharing some of my September holiday photos from Rhodes.

We witnessed glorious sunsets each night

By day the sun sparkled on the sea.

We enjoyed candle lit dinners

and witnessed a red full moon in all its glory.

And this amazing cloud formation on our last night...can you see a face here? I can.

We took a return trip to the Butterfly valley

and as well as the amazing butterflies...

We spotted the fresh water crabs too.

I decided to make a Moment for my art journal to remember our 2016 Rhodes holiday.  I wanted to celebrate the sunshine, heat and our trip to the Butterfly Valley. To do this I used my butterfly stamp from the brilliant "Own kind of Beautiful  Visible Image set. I also used  the words from my live in the moment  dragonfly set.

I wanted to join in with the next letter in the alphabet challenge over at the Craft Barn as well as some other fun challenges running in blog land at the moment.
I chose E for "explore" and this is how my Moment came together.

First I embossed my VI butterflies and then coloured them with distress markers in the same colours as those from the Butterfly Valley.

I wanted to represent the autumnal sun so I added gold embossing paste through my TH sun stencil.

I chose some warm sunny distress ink colours to blend my background in my art journal.

Once I was happy with my background I stencilled some leaves.

I made my focal by stamping and embossing my words into the centre of a TH clock die cut, which I had coloured with distress inks.

Here is my E dictionary  choice and definition...how very appropriate...E for explore

I also coloured some snippets of card to die cut leaves and branches to represent the beautiful trees in the Butterfly Valley

and then it was time to put on my creative hat.
Here is my finished Moment, my dictionary definition of E for explore is on a leaf.

When I look at this page in my art journal it takes me straight back to the sunshine and the memories we made during our wonderful September autumn holiday exploring Rhodes and the Butterfly Valley. Every moment was indeed very special.

I would like to enter my Moment into the following challenges;

The Craft Barn dictionary challenge E  Mine is E for Explore, the dictionary definition is shown above and on my leaf. We certainly did love exploring Rhodes and especially the butterful valley.
Paperartsy die cuts
Stamping Sensations 1/3 autumn
Penny Black and More 1/3 autumn
Anything but Cute an autumn day
Noor UK CAS or fully loaded Mine is of course fully loaded ;0)
Dies R Us the leaves are on the tree
We love to create 2/2 anything mixed media #21
Fashionable stamping 2/3 trees
Mod Squad anything but a card
Stamps and Stencils elements of nature

Thanks so much for visiting me today and for the kind comments you leave. I have another new follower who joined me this week..welcome and it's lovely to see you joining me on my creative journey here at Jane's Journal.

The weather has again been glorious for most of this week but it's turning chillier by the day...I actually got out and wore my winter jacket for the first time on Monday. Autumn is very much here now.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

Finding some shade in the Butterfly Valley

The first few days of our holiday were really scorching, it reached 36c on the Thursday. My Hb and I like hot weather but even for us this was a little too hot. We decided to hire a car and head up to the Butterfly Valley which is 5km from Theologos. This place is just a perfect spot to visit and the 1.5km steep walk uphill to the view point is really worth it. In addition to the wonder of the butterflies (which are actually a variety of the Panaxia moth) there are lizards, freshwater crabs and beautiful foliage to see in the dappled shade.

This is near to the entrance and as you walk into the valley you become aware that there are literally millions of butterflies inside.

They are on every surface

rocks,

tree trunks

even under the walkways and bridges.
The water flowing through the valley really cools everything down and is delightful to hear

and in the rockpools which it forms are lots of freshwater crabs

and of course where you find water and butterflies you will always find..

We made our way up the steep climb to the wonderful view point where the valley opens up again.

We sat in the shade of a tree and absorbed this wonderful view. After resting our legs we then made our way back down.

Now I will share a photo which I took about a month ago in my kitchen. My Hb called me as he was so shocked to see what was on the ceiling...

 I zoomed in and was so amazed to see this....I am sure it is the same variety.

Do you think it had flown all the way from Rhodes to remind us to pay them a visit ;0) 

My card for today just has to be butterfly inspired doesn't it. This is a card I made for a commission as a get well card. 

It features one of the first LOTV stamps I ever bought, Dandelion Clock Girl and it is still one of my favourites. 

Here she is in close up

I coloured her with my Promarkers and highlighted with Prismacolor pencils. I made my sky with pastel chalk and a cloud die template. I also coloured the grass. I added some bling to her wings and dandelions with glamour dust. The pretty border is a Martha Stewart punch as are all the butterflies I punched out of glitter card. I even found a little dragonfly charm. The tags are also LOTV.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges;

I love Promarkers anything goes

Divas by Design anything goes

The ABC challenge V for very cute

Cute Card Thursdays fairies

Simon says stamp celebrate the small and large Monarch butterfly punches are both for sale in the shop

Country View Crafts Layers

 Crafts to Challenge you Texture, twist 2, add something shiney My textures are the punched border, the embossed backing paper and round, embossed die cuts and the Baker's twine. The shiney additions are the glamour dust and the glitter card I have used for the butterflies

Crafty Cardmakers things with wings

Tuesday Throwdown Things with wings

Oldie but a Goodie Dies\punches my round dies are from last Christmas and my MS punches are at least 2 yrs old now!

Sparkles Monthly challenge Fairies and/or butterflies

The sunshine seems to be making a come back for the weekend but there is a definite autumnal feel in the air and the nights really are drawing in. We're off to see my darling daughter and our SIL today and I will be able to hug that baby bump too. Enjoy the weekend and thanks as always for visiting me here.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x